Queen Margrethe II Opens Costume Exhibit in Italy

Queen Margrethe II is known for other things besides the monarch of Denmark. She is also an artist and costume designer, doing the latter for ballets and films. The costumes she designed for the Danish film, “The Wild Swans”, have been exhibited around the world, and this week, they debuted in Italy.

Click here to see photos of the exhibit

Her Majesty personally went to the country to open the exhibition at the Museo Nazionale Romano in Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. There, the 43 decoupages and 12 dresses are on display until September 9th of this year.

With Margrethe for this opening was Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, Danish Minister of Culture, Uffe Elbaek, and the Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme’s museum director, Rita Paris.

But the Queen did come to Italy just to open her exhibit. During her “courtesy” visit, she visited Rome’s Danish Institute and attended a jazz concert in the Cappella Paolina with President Napolitano.

Exhibitions of “The Wild Swans” costumes have been seen in Denmark, Mexico, the United States, China and Japan.

“The Wild Swans” is a Hans Christian Andersen tale about eleven princes who are turned into swans by an evil Queen and are saved by their sister.

Jordanian King & Queen Welcome Italian First Couple

The President and First Lady of Italy are on a two state visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan this week. The point of their visit is to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

President Giorgio Napolitano and his wife, Clio Maria Bittoni, were greeted by Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania in Amman Monday morning. A welcoming ceremony took place outside the palace where the honor guard marched by the two couples.

Inside the palace, the King and the President had talks about ways to make Italy and Jordan closer in diplomatic relations. They also discussed the conflict in Syria and the Mideast peace process, in which Napolitano expressed his support of the King.

“Italy and the EU trust that Jordan can play an important role in the region”, said the Italian President following the 20 minute talk.

Later on, Queen Rania took Clio Maria Bittoni on tour of the Jordan River Foundation Showroom, which displays products made by local communities throughout the Kingdom.

The Jordan River Foundation is an NGO non-profit chaired by the Queen and was founded in 1995. Its mission is to empower women and communities through sustainable social, economic and cultural programs.

In the evening, Their Majesties held a state banquet at Basman Palace in honor of their Italian guests.

Source: Petra, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia, Jordan River Foundation

Prince Albert II Attends Forum on Preventing Sea Pollution

The Sovereign Prince of Monaco was at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy Tuesday, where he took part in an environmental forum called, “Protection of the Mediterranean Sea from Pollution: Past Achievements and Future Challenges”. This conference was organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

“We face a common global challenge that calls for urgent and concrete actions to respond to three major environmental problems of the moment on climate change, biodiversity and ‘water’,” His Serene Highness said in an opening speech.

“And I decided to create” stresses the Prince, “to direct it to the protection of’ environment and sustainable development.”

At the end of the event, Prince Albert went to the signing of an agreement between the Italian branch of the Foundation and communications group Finelco, creator of the program Mr PLANET. He then went to a gala event to benefit the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Sources: Corriere Della Sera, Le Podcast Journal

Martha Louise Promotes Angel Book in Italy

Norway’s Princess Martha Louise is in Italy this week to promote her book, Meet Your Guardian Angel, which is meant to help people getting in touch with their celestial protectors. Along with business partner Elisabeth Samnoy, the daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja appeared on Italian TV to discuss their book.

As quirky as the book’s subject is, it is gaining huge media interest and major sales. That might be because an actual Princess is one of the book’s authors. This even though Martha Louise gave up her title “Her Royal Highness” nine years ago upon marrying author Ari Behn.

“Despite the fact that Martha and her angel school (which is supposed to help its customers contact their guardian angels) don’t represent anything new in the genre, she and her partner are getting massive attention with her royal celebrity status,” Professor Dag Øistein Endsjø of the University of Bergen told NTB.

Another lecturer at the university, Siv Ellen Kraft, agreed. “The princess’ title has given her a lot of pull in Norway,” Kraft told NTB. “It hasn’t gone without mention in foreign media and that can awaken people’s curiosity.”

Already, Martha Louise’s book has been a hit in Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. There is talk of publishing the book in Great Britain.

But with success comes criticism. Martha Louise has been accused of cashing in on her royal status to promote her brand of spirituality. Some say her promoting new age beliefs and saying quirky things as she can talk to the dead (as she said last summer), has hurt the Norwegian royal family’s image.

But all that Martha Louise does is ignore the criticism. “I am a princess,” she has said, arguing that she should be allowed to use her title as a part of her identity.

And neither Kraft nor Endsjø think she is out to make money.

“There are a lot worse things she could have found to believe in than angels,” added Kraft.

Source: Views and News from Norway

Princess Marie’s Visit to Florence

Denmark’s Princess Marie went on her second solo trip abroad Monday when she arrived for a two day visit to Florence, Italy. The Princess was there to see the European University Institute to raise awareness of the school’s 15 Danish students, who are among 555 other PhD students doing research at the Institute.

For her first day in the lovely city, Marie was given a tour of the Frederick Stibbert Museum where she gazed awestruck at its artwork.

The next day, she was given another guided tour, this time at the Badia Fiesolana. Marie took out her camera and snapped away at the gorgeous gardens.

But she was not at the Badia Fiesolana just for sight seeing. The conference for the European University Institute took place there, and in the late morning, the Princess attended the seminar’s round table discussion on “National Minorities & Inter-Governmental Cooperation”. Marie did not participate in the talks, but simply attended.

Sources: Billed Bladet, European University Institute

Princess Caroline Attends Charity Ball in Florence

Monaco’s Princess Caroline was in Florence recently, where she went to a gala aimed at benefitting the charity, AMADE Foundation (World Association of Children’s Friends), which the Princess is president of. During her stay in Florence, Caroline got a look at the artistic side of the city – and became a work of art herself later at the ball.

profimedia.cz, LaPresse

Upon arriving in Florence, which is located in Tuscany, Princess Caroline was given a bouquet of flowers by a young girl to welcome her to the city. Later on, the eldest child of the late Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace was given a tour of Florence. She saw the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery and the Boboli Garden.

Accompanying Caroline during the tour was Cristina Acidini, Superintendent of the State Museums of the Italian city. Also coming along was Philippe Bianchi, Ambassador of the Principality of Monaco in Italy, Jean-Claude Michel, Ambassador of the Principality to the Holy See and Alessandro Giusti, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Florence.

In the evening, the Princess changed from her day clothes into a gorgeous evening gown. She returned to the Palazzo Vecchio for the ”Dance Giglio”, which was inspired by Monaco’s Bal de la Rose, considered to be one of the principality’s most glamorous events. The theme of the ball was the art of Renaissance Florence – with artwork by Michelangelo and Da Vinci decking the Palazzo.

Although the attention was on Princess Caroline being back to her glamorous self – she has been absent from many of Monaco’s similar events as of late – the ball was a charity function. AMADE was set up in 1963 by Princess Grace. It focuses on helping children in poor countries all over the world.